| Mission Metallica: Poseurific |
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Metallica is going digital. Yes, the band that waged war on technology has crawled out of the stone age and created their own super-site, Mission: Metallica. The site was officially launched on May 13, and boasts a plethora of fluff, to say the least.  Regular fans will get the chance to “experience the new album before it's done” through exclusive photos, demos, contests, and “fly on the wall” footage of Metallica in the studio. “Platinum” level fans will get more photos, more demos, more contests, more footage, ringtones, and “lots of other stuff.” The platinum level also features a midnight download of the new album, as well as a physical copy delivered the day it comes out. The only question that hasn't been answered: is all this stuff free? Upon visiting the site, one will find the homepage, a video stream, and not much more. It is totally unclear how to become a part of this mission, or how much, if anything, it costs to do so. It was just eight years ago that Lars Ulrich, Danish tennis prodigy turned metal drum god, embarked on his crusade against Napster, and ironically made its creator, Shawn Fanning, a supposed millionaire. The entire controversy stemmed from one single, “I Disappear,” off the soundtrack to Mission: Impossible II, which in turn made it to #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Though the RIAA had filed suit against Napster in 1999, it was Ulrich's media campaign that ultimately opened the door. In years since, the RIAA has continued its war on peer to peers by attacking seemingly defenseless offenders. In 2003, one case involved 12 year old Brianna Lahara, who was living in New York City public housing. Last year, the RIAA sued John Paladuk of Michigan, who is a stroke victim living on disability. Also in 2007, an Arizona man, Jeffrey Howell, was sued for purchasing a CD and ripping the songs to his own computer. In Oregon, Tanya Andersen, a 45 year old single mother also on disability, won her case against the RIAA. Now she's going after them for conspiracy. The RIAA has become notorious for their intimidation practices, and forcing people to pay thousands of dollars in settlements. Of the 40,000 and counting, only about 100 people have defended themselves in court. Most just don't have the resources to do so, especially the college students that make up the majority of those targeted. Many college students have even had to quit school because of the RIAA. All this can be traced back to the day Metallica discovered Napster. They released their last record, St. Anger, five days early because of their paranoia over album leaks. So why the change of heart? Did Rick Rubin talk them into it? Have they joined the ranks of Radiohead and NIN? Is James Hetfield back on the bottle? And again, is all this stuff free?
by Kyle Timlin. Graphic taken from www.missionmetallica.com
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